For those of you who aren’t happy with Google merely updating their core apps, and want to see a completely new version of Android, fear not. According to the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, a new version of Android, which will feature support for low-energy Bluetooth Smart, should be released in the coming months.

In a press email sent out to bloggers shortly after Google I/O’s keynote ended, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group announced that in an upcoming update to Android, support for native Bluetooth Smart functionality would be available for developers to take advantage of. Normally, we might guess that it the update could be to 4.2.3, or some other small, incremental number, but Twitter and Google+ have been buzzing with info that more big Android news is on the horizon.

Other than support for Bluetooth Smart, which is already supported by Apple, Microsoft and BlackBerry, no one knows what will be included in the next version of Android, expected to launch as Android 4.3. We’ll be keeping our ears to the ground for any news on the next big version that might slip out before I/O comes to and end.

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redraider133

I think google wanted to put more focus on it’s other services/products for now and will wait til later in the summer for the next version of android/next nexus. Maybe they want to try and combat the next iphone/IOS version. I am excited to see what all google puts into the next version. Hopefully takes it back to being as smooth as it was on 4.1 not like 4.2 which slowed it down alot.

slimx30

is there any chance they could still announce a new nexus 7? I hope they do because I have not bought one because I thought they were going to announce a new one

George

I’m in the same situation.. woke up dying to pre-order a new refreshed Nexus 7 today, going to bed disappointed :’(

Alan

They will soon, maybe coming weeks. Hang in there :)

thekaz

This news makes me and my Fitbit Flex excited…

epps720

Please bring this on even quicker!

Sincerely,
My depleting G-Nex battery

Tony Harding fanboy

4.2.3 is laughable, Apple iOS ist at 6.1, gearing up for 7.0. Android is lagging behind for years now

thekaz

Soo… if Google decided to call it Android 8.0, they’d be ahead of Apple…?

I am not sure you understand how this versioning stuff works.

Co1e

That makes absolutely no sense troll.

wangbo

Another illiterate iOS user.

redraider133

So wp8 and bb10 are ahead of them all then? May want to think about that lol

jon d

Android and Me needs a “flag as spam” feature.

CTown

Wow,I was beginning to fear that the proparitary Google Play Services would get the bulk of the updates now versus the opensource Android framework that we all came to love!

Nathan D.

Finally

jonstle

Nice! Something new to look forward too. Hoping there is a few new features and a lot of battery life saving optimization.

jerrbomb

I’m glad that they did what they did at yesterday’s keynote.. It was exactly what they intended.. To focus on the dev community..

donger

Yes. We are all happy.

Guest

If that all there is, I’m very disappointed… Friends getting ios7 and not only can’t I order key lime pie, but I get yet another sour jelly bean…. And my phone feels stale with no exciting update.. So much for having a nexus Device

Somebody

Would you make you feel better if the next version number was 43.0? The fruit company is struggling to do a bad job of not quite keeping up. Their version number may be ahead, but their software is FAR behind. Maybe the super duper new feature that they offer will be spherical picture mode and to break some other important feature. Recall that all their last “upgrade” offered was pano-pictures (which Android had a whole YEAR before), and a massively downgraded mapping application.

Now for version numbers, recall that the fruit company doesn’t use decimals in their versions. Google does. That means that if you insist on such a shallow comparison as an arbitrarily assigned number to equate them, you need to incorporate a factor of 10 in the comparison. Either Android version 42.0 to apple 7.0, or Android 4.2 to apple 0.7. Or if you want to make good fun of Apple, Google actually uses TWO decimals in their version numbers. Current Android version is actually 4.2.3, so Android 423.0 to apple 7.0 or Android 4.2.3 to apple 0.0.7…. call it the “bond” edition and etch in the silhouette of a gun or a woman, that would be sure to sell. Oh wait… heterosexual men avoid apple like the plague, that wouldn’t work.

So be happy that no matter what apple 7 brings, it will not stand up to current Android. It will still be insulting crap. Or just wait a month for 4.3.

Gizbeat

I’d imagine not even being able to change your wallpaper must feel about as stale as it gets. Welcome to iOS.

out4droid

Hi guys,
I fear Bluetooth will continue to drain our batteries for a long time.

In the meanwhile you can use Blueth Me On to optimize the Bluetooth enabling/disabling just on call.